Hi again all! We’re back again with week 5 of the Quiet Book Sew-Along. This page is really fast to put together, so – if you didn’t get your materials ready last week go and get them now and let’s get sewing. This will be our second finish. With 2 pages under your belt we are 1/6th of our way through the pages already! (Am I the only one that thinks like that!?)

One important thing to note – you will need 1 piece of ribbon 3 1/2″ long for the side tab. I forgot to add this to the shopping list in week #4. I like to match the tab to my page as much as possible, so you could use the extra length you have available after stitching your photo edging ribbon. You will have plenty.

Download and print the pattern pieces pdf on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. It will have 2 pages. Important: Make sure scaling is set to ”None” or “Actual Size” when printing. Once you have printed the page, measure the 1″ test square (it should measure 1″ in both directions) to ensure the pattern pieces will be the correct size.

When you are sewing this book it is good to remember that some of the edges will be covered after the book is completed and sewn together. 1/2″ on the top edge of your page and 3/4″ on each side edge will not show in the final project.

Remember to use your iron liberally when you are sewing this book. It is going to be a work of art when you are done! Since it is thick and some of the pages will not be iron-able once you are finished with them it is advisable to take all of the care you can to remove wrinkles so they are not accidentally permanent in your final book.

Cutting Your Fabric:

Pre-wash (if possible, a baby might be chewing on this book!) and iron your fabric well before beginning.

Cut your vinyl piece using the pattern on page 2 of the pattern piece pdf. I found the easiest way to cut it out was to tape it down on top of the untrimmed pattern page and trace the lines with a ruler. Then I used scissors to cut out the vinyl piece along the traced lines.

Cut your mitten pieces according to the pattern page. You will need 2 pieces. Be sure to mark the dot near the thumb on the wrong side of one of your pieces.

Cut your cuff ribbing to size – leave the height at 3″, cut the width down to 8″.

Here we go:

Mitten Prep: (1) Place mitten fabric right sides together and pin. (2) With the “marked dot” side up – stitch around the curved edges with a 1/4″ seam allowance starting on the thumb side and leaving the straight bottom edge (cuff) unsewn. ** When sewing the inside edge of the thumb, continue sewing down to the marked dot, pivot, and then continue up the side of the mitten to the cuff edge. (3) Trim your edges with pinking shears or notch your curves. Carefully cut almost to the marked dot – do not cut through your seam! – to open up the thumb area for turning. (4) Turn your mitten right side out, push out all of the edges and press flat. Set aside.

Mitten Cuff: (5) Fold your cuff ribbing wrong sides together so the short edges are aligned and pin. (6) Stitch the short end with a 1/2″ seam allowance. (7) Turn your cuff circle right side out and fold in half lengthwise. (8) Lay the cuff flat with the seam at the left edge. Mark the opposite right edge with a pin.

Mitten Cuff: (9) Place the cuff circle over the mitten cuff with the raw edges lined up. Match the cuff side seam to a mitten side seam. Match the pin in the cuff to the other mitten side seam. (10) Stretch the cuff to match the mitten cuff edge while matching up and pinning the remaining edges. (11) Stitch around the raw edges with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Use a stretch stitch (as in the photo) or a long, narrow zig-zag to allow for some stretching. (12) Neaten your raw edge by trimming close to the seam and/or zig-zaging over the raw edges to prevent fraying.

Make the vinyl pocket frame: (13) Apply the 9″x9″ fusible interfacing to the back of your backing fabric. Find and mark (with a removable fabric marker) a 4 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ square in the centre of your backing fabric. (14) Line the left and right sides and bottom of the vinyl with the box. I applied a very thin line of glue to the 3 edges with my glue stick to hold it in place. Make sure the glue does not extend farther than 1/4″ in from each edge. (15) **The ribbon will cover the 3 edges of the vinyl that is within the marked box area only.** Fold down 1/2″ at one end of your ribbon – pin or use a glue stick to hold it in place. Pin the ribbon over the vinyl, beginning with the folded edge. Line up the outside edge of the ribbon and the vinyl, making sure the ribbon covers the vinyl so it does not show. Do not pin the vinyl where it will show because the pins will leave holes. Miter the corners as you go around. When you reach the end, leave 1/2″ of ribbon when trimming. Pin and fold that end under as well. (16) Stitch over the ribbon with a wide zig-zag or 2 rows of straight stitching to attach.

Finishing the Page: (17) Place the mitten, making sure it is covering the framed vinyl. Make sure to allow 1/2″ on the top edge of your page and 3/4″ on each side edge because they will not show in the final project. (18) Stitch the far right side of your mitten to the page. I stitched a 3″ seam about 1/8″ away from the edge. (See the photo) Before stitching, check to see if the seam area is on top of the right side of your frame – if it is, move your mitten over a bit, so you don’t accidentally stitch over the vinyl. (19) Place your photo in the vinyl pocket. (20) Fold and crease the remaining vinyl down into the pocket and behind the photo to enclose it and (hopefully) prevent any tampering! If it does not fit into the pocket, taper the edges a bit more until it will fold flat. If the vinyl will not crease easily, hold an iron close to (but not touching!) the vinyl to heat it up a bit, then crease it carefully while it is more pliable. Remove your fabric markings.

Finish with the Ribbon: (21) Use your small safety pin to attach the ribbon tab to your finished page. Since this is a long Sew-Along you would hate to lose it!

You are finished page #2! Post it on our Flickr page so we can see it – or check this page for more quiet book sharing ideas – Pretty please? I’m so curious!